Laurefindel, Glorfindel
by Clearwater Riverstone
Summary: Glorfindel was not always the fearless elf-lord he is today, in fact, as a young elf he was quite the opposite. Will his decision in joining the Rebellion of the Noldor change him forever? Of course. Glorfindel's POV
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One…**

Since I was young I had known I was different. At first it was just that I preferred reading and painting to hunting and sparring, the two most desired things for young male elflings at that time, though it was probably still popular now. At first the difference was not obvious for I also hunted and sparred with my friends whenever they asked me to. But as we grew older, it became more obvious.

My friends had all become taller and more muscular from hours of practice with the sword, while although I did grow almost as tall as the preferred height for male elves, I was too skinny. I was not as skinny as when I had been an elfling, of course, I did spar with my friends after all, but I definitely did not have enough muscles to be considered average. I always blamed it on my habit of reading whenever I could but I knew deep in my heart it was not a matter of how often I exercised.

My father was unusually thin for a male as well, but he was valued highly by Finwë and none dared to tease him about it. However, mine was a different case. Inheriting my skinny frame from my father was something I could live with. Unlike my father though, who had dark brown hair and eyes, I had golden hair and green eyes. My eyes were masculine enough, but my hair…

Some of my uncles and cousins also had golden hair, courtesy of my great-grandmother Indis, but they were all certainly muscular enough to look _male_ enough. I did not have that luxury and was constantly teased about it. Today was no exception.

Today, there was a sword-fighting competition held in Tirion. I had signed up for it and was placed in the final slot. When I had seen the list, I had breathed a sigh of relief. I had only signed up to prove to others I wasn't afraid, that I was _male_ enough; I never really wanted to fight. _If I'm last, the chance of great-grandfather seeing me fight would be lessened greatly. He will probably get bored and leave before it's my turn._

I knew that was never going to happen but if I didn't stay positive, I would definitely lose it. I was going to be humiliated but I hoped that at least I would spare the High King of the Noldor from embarrassment. It _was _Finwë's and Indis' wedding anniversary and I was sure no one wanted to be shamed on a special day like this.

I clearly remembered the amusement and surprised expression on the games master's, Amdirian's, face when I had signed up.

"Are you sure about this boy?" he had asked, making a big show of looking me up and down. "You could get hurt."

For a moment I hesitated but I didn't say anything. Amdirian had sighed dramatically before saying, "I'll make you first on the list boy."

Panic had surged through me. _I didn't want to be first!_ I had screamed silently. Luckily, Amdirian had decided to put him last.

I _had_ practiced but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" I jerked out of my thoughts, searching for the one who had spoken. _Please don't tell me you're talking to me. Valar have mercy on me, I'm already going to be humiliated._ The competitors were all housed in a room near the sparring rings. We had recently been briefed on how the tournament worked while waiting for the audience to be seated.

Basically, we were split into pairs. The winner of each pair would fight the winner of another pair. Then the winner from that pair would compete with the winner from another pair and so on till there was only one winner left. There were eight pairs, which meant there would be fifteen matches in total. To speed things up, there were two sparring rings. This also let the winners rest before competing again.

"Hey! You there, the one leaning against the wall!"

I turned my head. There was a heavily-built elf pointing wildly, his face red. Looking around, I realised I was the only elf leaning against a wall; the other competitors were gathered in groups, joking and laughing. I saw my opponent, Camerdil I think, point me out to the group that surrounded him and heard them snigger when they saw me. He obviously thought me far below his regard and easy to beat. I desperately hoped I would prove him wrong and not become a laughing stock for the rest of my immortal life.

"Hey!" _Please not be talking to me…pleasepleaseplease…_

But it seemed everyone was conspiring against me for I felt someone grab my shoulder and spin me around. The muscular elf faced me, his sides heaving. I flinched and took a step back.

"I'm talking to you!" he yelled at me.

"Don't waste your time on him, Lidrel, he doesn't talk," Camerdil said, waving Lidrel over. "Have a drink, just ignore him."

I wondered if they knew why I never talked unless absolutely necessary. I prayed they would never find out. Lidrel ignored Camerdil and took a step towards me. I took a step back. He took another step forward, I took another step back. Front, back, front, back, frontbackfrontback…until my back was pressed against a wall. He towered over me; he looked at least a head taller than me.

Before he could say anything though, the games master stepped in to ask all of us to proceed outside to present ourselves to the audience before we started the tournament. We could only wear our armour after we presented ourselves to the High King of the Noldor. Lidrel immediately turned and led the way outside. He was one of the first to compete and looking at his bulging muscles I could guess why he was such a good swordsman.

Trembling, I followed the rest outside, trailing behind them and forced myself to keep my chin up. I was of the House of Finwë and no matter how much I wanted to just run into my ammë's arms and stay there I would act as befitting my lineage.

I dared not look to where the royal box was when we were introduced, afraid to see nothing but contempt and embarrassment in my relatives' eyes. So when the games master placed his hand on my shoulder, I bowed my head and stared at the ground.

"And our last competitor, Laurefindel Finwion." I felt like smacking the games master right there and then, in front of everyone, as hard as could. I wished for once that he would call me by my father's, not my great-grandfather's name. Usually each elf was called by their father's name, but my dear father insisted that I be called by the High King's name, loyal as he was to Finwë. I was sure he was regretting he ever made that decision now. Now everyone would know I was of the King of the Noldor's lineage and that Finwë had such a terrible excuse for an elf as a great-grandson.

As I expected, there was no cheer from the crowd when my name was announced as there had been for the other competitors. I forced back the tears in my eyes and wished the ground would swallow me up. Or that Manwë would feel merciful and blow me away with a gust of wind. I could hear the mocking voices of the other competitors standing beside me, low enough so that only I could hear, not that anyone else cared anyway.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the she-elves on the side lines?" one snickered.

"We would certainly perform better if you were cheering us on," another said, mock sorrow in his voice.

I flinched slightly. Why did I ever sign up in the first place?

The clearing of a throat was heard and I looked up. Finwë seemed to have decided to break the awkward silence that hovered in the air. He stood and turned to the two figures sitting beside him. _Ingwë and Olwë? No! Not only will I embarrass my family in front of the Noldor but the Vanyar and Teleri as well?_

Finwë greeted them formally and welcomed them to the tournament before turning to face us. I immediately dropped my head.

"Laurefindel?" the King's voice carried across the open space easily.

I gulped and bowed.

I dared to meet his eyes and it seems that was exactly what he had been waiting for. He smiled at me, a genuine smile. It wasn't mocking; in fact it looked as though he was trying to encourage me, to tell me not to go down without a fight. I felt my love for my great-grandfather grow. _I'll try my best,_ I promised.

Then he raised his hands out and declared, "Let the tournament begin!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Well, here's the second chapter, hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Two...

I stood in the corner of the room, bunching my hair before tying it up and repeating the process over again. The first four competitors had already gone out and the four of us left were getting extremely nervous. Not for the first time, I wished my hair was shorter, preferably above my shoulders. I had begged and begged my mother to let me cut it but she had refused to allow me, saying that all noble elves kept their hair long. But she had no idea what my hair did to my image. It was because of my hair, golden, long and thick, that I was labelled as 'girly'.

However, I still haven't reached my majority and I had to listen to her, though once I was seventy, I was definitely going to chop it all off. Fortunately, I would be of age in a few years' time. Although it felt like an eternity. I finally settled for tying it in one thick braid down my back, which I wound around my head before placing my helm over it. I had put on my helm last, knowing I would take a while to adjust my hair.

The door creaked open and I spun around to see Lidrel and another elf entering the room. Judging from the smug smile gracing Lidrel's face, it was obvious who had won. The game master's head popped in and he called, "Next!"

Two of the four of us followed him out and I found myself shaking with nerves. I was next. Slowly, the two elves began to take off their armour and I saw a small cut on Lidrel's opponent's arm. Sure, it was small, but who's to say I would be as lucky? I didn't know we were allowed to draw blood.

Spotting me standing in the corner, Lidrel strolled towards me and though I was the one in armour, I was the one who started to back slowly from him.

"We didn't manage to talk just now," he said menacingly as he continued to advance. As I was already in a corner, he didn't need to move much before I was cornered.

"You are of the House of Finwë, are you not? I thought you looked a bit like Irimë's daughter. Are you her offspring?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Why will you not answer me? Are you mute?"

Seeing that I still refused to reply him, he raised his fist. "Answer me now! I will not be disrespected thus!"

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the blow. There was a whoosh of air and my eyes snapped open. Lidrel's opponent stood beside me, one hand on Lidrel's trembling fist and the other patting his back soothingly. He glanced back at me before turning back to Lidrel.

"Don't do this Lidrel, you will regret it. He is of Finwë's line after all," he reasoned. Lidrel seemed to see the sense in his words and lowered his arm before he spun round and stalked to the other side of the room. His opponent placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you all right?" he asked me, sincere concern in his eyes. I released my breath shakily, not realising I had been holding it, and nodded.

He smiled. "I'm Adrimmir, by the way. You're Laurefindel right?"

I nodded again.

"Nice to meet you," he told me politely and he was the first elf I met who really seemed to mean it.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied quietly. I winced, my voice sounded very high next to his lower one and I felt my cheeks burn. But he didn't mock me like my former friends and just smiled before walking off to the refreshment table at the other side of the room.

I felt like going over to him, no one has ever been nice to me before, but the games master's head appeared at the door with two more competitors and I forgot all about Adrimmir.

"Laurefindel, Camerdil? You're up!" he announced cheerfully. I felt my terror taking over and I fought not to faint. _Stop being such a girl, Laurefindel. You have to do this._ I straightened and followed Camerdil and Amdirian out, ignoring the snickers that went along with me.

As I stepped into the sparring ring, I refused to look at the crowd and concentrated only on Camerdil's face. The audience surely thought I would be beaten very easily and I heard them betting among themselves on how long it would take for me to admit defeat. I thought about surrendering before the match started, but I remembered the smile Finwë gave me and squashed the urge.

The bell sounded and Camerdil immediately took a leap at me, his sword crashing down but I brought my sword up to meet his and the clash of steel echoed around the open field. I saw a slight uncertainty in his eyes as they met mine. _He didn't expect me to be strong enough to withstand that,_ I realised. There was a hush in the audience as we stood frozen in time, before Camerdil leaped back and attacked again.

I met him thrust for thrust. And I found that I enjoyed the competition, the thrill of swinging a sword, the sound of it cutting the air, but most of all, the stupefied look on Camerdil's face. I felt myself growing more confident and I put all the resentment and anger I had bottle up over the years, determined to show everyone that I was _male_ enough and not to be taken lightly.

As Camerdil stumbled backwards, I couldn't help but grin, the first time I did so in ages. Suddenly I didn't care whether I lost, or embarrassed myself and my whole House, I had proven to myself and everyone else that I could do it, that I wasn't scared, that they were wrong.

_I can't believe I'm doing this! I can actually do this! _I felt like screaming my joy to the world.

Camerdil thrust again and I blocked. It seemed as though this match would never end, then something happened. As Camerdil tried to penetrate my defence by targeting my left side, I twisted away from his blade and towards him and rested my sword against his throat.

There was a stunned silence as every pair of eyes was trained on us. I could almost hear their thoughts. Did _Laurefindel_ just beat someone at sword-fighting?

Then Finwë stood up and everyone turned to look at him. He broke into a grin and started…laughing. He laughed and laughed until he had to grip the armrests of his chair to keep himself steady. After a few minutes in which most thought the Noldor King to have gone mad, he chuckled, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I knew you had it in you Laurefindel. All those times when others told me I was crazy…well, look at you now!"

As if on cue, the audience stood up and applauded, amazement and surprise on their features, though I saw some looking a bit upset. I wondered how much they lost betting on me. I smiled and bowed to them before Amdirian ushered Camerdil and I out of the ring and into the room. I could still hear their clapping even when surrounded by the thick walls of the room.

I was given a five-minute break before I had to compete again and I couldn't stop smiling all the while. My soon to be competitor looked slightly nervous and kept pacing around the room. Nandrimel, I think his name was. The others were either scowling at me or trying to stay as far from me as possible. I saw Camerdil shoot me a particularly hateful look though I was too happy to bother about it.

_I knew you had it in you._ Finwë's words rang in my head and my smile widened. Maybe signing up wasn't such a bad idea after all.


End file.
